I RECENTLY received my rate demand for 2002/3 and I notice that my rates have gone up by 9.5 per cent - roughly four times the rate of inflation.

To compound matters the rates bill was accompanied by two glossy magazines each containing 16 pages.

Perhaps your newspaper can determine the cost of these "glossies" to the taxpayers. I doubt if more than two per cent of the populace read them and, in these times of rocketing rates, this is an expense we can all do without.

The council should rein in its expenditure on fringe activities.

Peter G Morris,

Kensington Road,

Rawcliffe, York.

Updated: 12:25 Thursday, March 28, 2002